Landlord, landlord,
My roof has sprung a leak.
Don't you 'member I told you about it
Way last week?
Landlord, landlord,
These steps is broken down.
When you come up yourself
It's a wonder you don't fall down.
Ten Bucks you say I owe you?
Ten Bucks you say is due?
Well, that's Ten Bucks more'n I'l pay you
Till you fix this house up new.
What? You gonna get eviction orders?
You gonna cut off my heat?
You gonna take my furniture and
Throw it in the street?
Um-huh! You talking high and mighty.
Talk on-till you get through.
You ain't gonna be able to say a word
If I land my fist on you.
Police! Police!
Come and get this man!
He's trying to ruin the government
And overturn the land!
Copper's whistle!
Patrol bell!
Arrest.
Precinct Station.
Iron cell.
Headlines in press:
MAN THREATENS LANDLORD
TENANT HELD NO BAIL
JUDGE GIVES NEGRO 90 DAYS IN COUNTY JAIL!
The Ballad Of The Landlord by Langston Hughes • 89 poems by Langston HughesEdit
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James Langston Hughes [1902-1967] was born in Joplin, Missouri, USA, the great-great-grandson of Charles Henry Langston (brother of John Mercer Langston, the first Black American to be elected to public office). He attended Central High School in Cleveland, Ohio, where he began writing poetry in the eighth grade. His father would discourage him from pursuing writing as a career, in favour of something 'more practical'. Langston's tuition fees to Columbia University were paid on the grounds that he study engineering.
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By Langston Hughes, © 1934, All rights reserved.
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Editor notes
From THE LANGSTON HUGHES READER, p. 101, © 1957.
This poem by Langston Hughes grew out of conditions in New York City’s Harlem in the 1930’s. In graphic terms it describes the escalation of anger and frustration that tenants experienced trying to get landlords to make basic repairs. It is structured like an old time blues song until the final verse where the rhythm changes.
Charley Noble
My favorite Poet
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My question is, why didn't the teacher read it, Blacker? Oh, was the teacher, white? Non the less, the poem is written about a Black person, by a Black man. That in it's self should have been enough.
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Where is that east coast accent we hear when 'New Yorkers' are talking( if you want to put it in context from 'My' perspective)? Dialect or Accent is the question as to how this poem should be read? Hummm, I wonder at what age level should one be 'at'( language a urban kid would use) to articulate such a concept( if that kind of 'concept' has been or was 'being' taught) OR, since they were in Virginia, was a 'Southerner' expression expected?
'We be jiv'in U or what not' you'd think?
My mother was from Georgia, father ( we called him Dad de' , like in Daddy!) and I grew-up in Indianapolis and as my peers would say 'Talk White'( I'm a university administrator for more than 3 decades). Now how should I read this poem? How would you? By the way, what is 'BLACKER'?Rate this comment
It sucks but that teacher should not be under investigation unless there was more to it. The truth is, the poem is written in dialect of the time. Much like poems from James Whitcomb Riley. Now.. should she have picked on him? No- she should have read it herself. But poetry interpretation is all about invoking emotion while reading.. and you can't do that, nor does the poem flow- if you use proper English.
"COMMENTER"My issue is the fact that she questioned him, "Well you're black right?". Maybe the kid didn't know how to talk in that dialect? Would she have picked a white kid & asked him to use that dialect as well?
"nphilanas" That was stupid on her part and shows a complete lack of common sense and reality. Black history can't cover her.. but ignorance will..Rate this comment
- It's sad when we have preconceived notions about how people should read poetry but I'm sure the teacher was just trying to get her student to speak in what she considered an authentic voice. She made a simple mistake and there is no reason to condemn her. All that is required probably is, "a word to the wise," and the rest of should just move on to issues more important.Rate this comment
- Penny.. there is no preconceived notion. Poetry interpretation is ALL about how a poem is read aloud to others to convey the emotion to the reader or listener. This poem is about ANGER. It is also WRITTEN in a distinct dialect so reading it the correct way is VERY important.
- Nphilanas, Sometimes we have our own "notions" about how a certain work or poetry should be read but our opinions are only opinions. The student read it the way he thought it should be read. The teacher had a different notion. Instead of trying to enforce her opinion of how she thought the student should read it, it would have been more appropriate if she had simply demonstrated the reading herself, without the improper references to the student's, "blackness." For example, you say the poem is about ANGER. I've never interpreted it that way. To me the poem is about the pain associated with the futility of going against the system, but does my opinion make yours less valid? Of course not. It's fun however to listen to other people's ideas/interpretations and learn from them. Peace.
I too, heard about the teacher and wanted to read the poem. If she had wanted it to sound as if a certain person was reading it, she should have discussed it, and told the student “why” she felt it was appropriate to read the poem that way. However, she came across in a very negative way, and insulted the student.
When I came to this point in the poem:
Police! Police!
Come and get this man!
He's trying to ruin the government
And overturn the land!the statement sent shivers down my spine, as this reflects on how many whites, especially in politics, see our current president. The republicans want to take us back to the “old days”, thus they are turning back the clock on women’s rights, voting rights, equality of wage, and even child labor. In addition, many have stated they want us to go back to different times. This paragraph is all telling of the problems we still have in this not “united” states. They might say it is not about race, but, the hate that many spew, including Limbaugh, Beck, Palin (who said Obama wants us to go back to the 19th century..”For real?”), and others have, shows it is about race, and that paragraph has very powerful and telling words! The other day, Michael Steel, a black man, commented on Romney’s trying to fit in with the accent of the state, and he actually said that he would have to speak “Ebonics” if he went to Harlem. I was shocked, and amazed (should not be, as he is a republican), that he, as a black man of power, would assume all people in Harlem spoke that way. Still work to be done to get us into the 18th century.
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Ironically enough, I could imagine this becoming the ballad of a lot of southern states right now. The federal government expects them to pay taxes while refusing to fix a porous border.
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I just found this site as I wanted to find out about this Langston Hughes poem - which I didn't know. It is making headlines as a student in Falls Church, VA was reprimanded for not reading this poem "black enough". I had to smile as I came from a poor 'white' town and this poem could have been written for one of those families as well! Dishonest landlords come in all colors, shapes and sizes and are awful to everyone and anyone.
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This poem has a subtle racist face to it. It is a true reflection of how much misunderstanding of what humanity is all about. It also shows how inhumane the person with more can be.
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great!!
- haha I just watched the cill my landlord video again. Now it makes a lot more sense.
- thank you for enlightning me!
- thank you
- Great!
- It's an enduring theme. Eddie Murphy had a take on this on SNL back in the 1980's
"Dark and lonely on a summer’s night. Kill my landlord. Kill my landlord. Watchdog barking. Do he bite? Kill my landlord. Kill my landlord. Slip in his window. Break his neck. Then his house I start to wreck. Got no reason. What the heck? Kill my landlord. Kill my landlord. C-I-L-L my land lord!" ~Tyrone Green
};-{> - I hate my landlord haha!! encompasses it all really doesn't it??! brilliant
- I love the work of Langston Hughes, he wrote down the feelings for us. So now we know exactly how they felt way back when... Thanks Mr.Hughes for your gift of poetry.
- Brilliant write, Realistic imagery with a witty twist. A humourous and very entertaining read which portrays and captivates an important time in history.
- Dear poet friend,
Your poetry threatens laziness to be sleepless till decipher the mystery you apparently the master having placed it through the parts of writing from semi coma to full words!
Merci beaucoup!
Solzhi On first impression, no matter who you are , if you have been a tenant you know that this poem is true. No matter how things change the more they stay the same. You don't need to be black or in New York to live those things. Joyce White
This poem tells the story of time.
- I find it rather childish and poorly constructed. There is little, if any, rhythmic cadence and it just does not flow as well as it perhaps could.
If it were written by a kid, I would be telling them that it has traces of excellence to it - for someone their age - but still needed a lot more work. - This man was a jive king. Caught the rhythm and the beat, made the music sing with out needing more than words and got us to see like we never had seen it before what was happening everyday and no one was willing to look.
Peace,
Tom B. no complaints pall - enjoyed - scared me a bit - but thts cool
I like his Jess B. Semple stories too. What a Master!
DM
I think this would make a good rap. Hughes was a man ahead of his time in many ways.
Jim
- What a cinical sense of humor you must have! I liked this muy mucho ^^
I remember hearing about this. I'm sure it sounds great in the blues way! black people were treated so bad then. I'm glad things are getting better now that Landlord's have to follow laws that provide for the poor.
The plight of poor tenants in the 1930's is now being revisited with the plight of middle class tenants in 2011. We're all going down the same drain!
Charley Noble
- Loved it! I can picture the anger and frustration any must have had and has when a landlord is being so pompus. Thank you for sharing this wonderful piece!
~The Butterfly - It must have been even harder to be a tenant (and black) back in those days. Even now, you have to watch out for your rights.
A wonderful piece. I think this is great wish i had a landlord to send it to
I may send this to MY landlord, lol
i liked that this poem had a historical root and that it used a sort of slang. it was a very fun read.
Cool!
Admire!
From guest kevin alex (contact)
THANK U ALL, AM A STUDENT IN ARUSHA, TANZANIA AND I HAVE BENEFITED ALOT FROM U'R PROGRAMME. U think smartest.- From guest REGINA ANDERSON (contact)
I AM TEACHING POETRY AND USING HISTORY AS A LAUNCHING PAD. THANK YOU, THIS IS WONDERFUL AND FITS RIGHT IN WITH THE HISTORY CURRICULUM IN VIRGINIA. love it
From guest dick lichter (contact)
this is great and it is racist to black and mexicans. No EVICT yo tengo familia. i pay how mcuh u say. "20 dollars" 500 pesos nooooooo, no evict
